'Every woman! this is your business': the Australian Women's Movement Against Socialisation

The Australian Women's Movement Against Socialisation (AWMAS)was formed in Sydney in September 1947 in response to the Federal Australian Labor Party government's decision to nationalise private banks. During the thirteen years of its existence, the AWMAS also campaigned against the ALP, trade unions and communism/socialism. Branches were formed throughout New South Wales, and in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. By the 1951, the NSW Division claimed to have 7,000 members in 97 branches throughout the state. An extreme right-wing organisation, the AWMAS drew many of its members from both mainstream conservative parties. Other women from middle and upper class Australia, who had shown little previous interest in politics, also joined in large numbers. The paper analyses why women jointed he AWMAS and what they achieved both inside and outside the movement. To this end, the lives of selected leaders and members from New South Wales are discussed. These women came from a variety of backgrounds and classes, and from urban and rural areas. The biographical outlines illustrate a range of social and political activities that have been largely ignored by historians.